Anyone who makes money online will tell you that you need to build an opt-in list. All you do is give away a free ebook, report or other item of value to get people to subscribe to your list. It sounds simple and it is.

But once you start building your list, what do you do with it?

Build a relationship with your list members! Tell them a little about yourself. Send them free valuable content in the form of articles, ebooks or reports. Let them get to know you, like you and trust you. Become their friend, someone whose opinion they value.

After you've built a relationship they'll be ready to buy from you because they'll trust you to recommend quality products. It's OK to send them sales messages.

I can hear some of you objecting to that last part...

"I can't do that to my list!"

Let me ask you this... Why do you think everyone says you need your own list?

The answer... Because they know the meaning of the phrase "the money is in the list" by seeing it first-hand.

It's a fact that when list owners send out an endorsement email to their lists, they bring in a tremendous amount of cash from the mailing... and they create cash on demand any time they want by sending out an email.

Many list owners sell solo ads, thus the advertisers are paying to "borrow" the list to make sales. So if you allow others to "borrow" your list for the purpose of making sales, why shouldn't you sell products to your list, too?

Which would you rather do - make $10 from selling a solo ad or send your own endorsement and make hundreds of dollars or more?

I was speaking with a publisher friend recently and he mentioned selling an occasional solo ad. I asked why he doesn't send his own sales messages to his list. (I'm on his list so I know he doesn't.)

His reply was "Not my list. They're so unresponsive!"

"What have you offered?" I asked.

"I tried that software package one time, remember?"

As I recall, the software was offered over a year ago and he hasn't sent a sales message since then. It's likely his list wasn't interested in that particular product, but that doesn't mean they won't buy something else from him. He's been leaving money on the table all this time.

You must find out what your list members want, then offer it to them. I guarantee they're buying products from someone. Why not get them to buy from you?

You can find out what they want by doing a simple survey every once in awhile. Ask what would make their life easier or help them get their business off the ground. Find out what they want to know more about... Google AdSense income, how to create web sites, etc.

Learn what they want to buy, then sell it to them. It's that simple and it applies to any niche market. You'll be giving them what they want, they'll have products they need and everyone will be happy.

The day of the week, and even the time of day, you send your messages also affect responsiveness. Many studies have been done that show the best times and days to send emails, but you should test your list yourself. Once you discover when they're the most responsive, stick with that schedule for maximum results.

Your list is pure gold. The key to mining the gold requires some trial and error, but it's well worth the effort on your part. And remember, these people joined your list to get quality information and that includes product recommendations.

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